World War II veteran Glover honored

Jasper County Sun Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Cleveland Glover, right, looks on at his newly engraved paver at Veterans Memorial Park in Ridgeland.

It was a cool, rainy day in Ridgeland on March 5, but the rain stopped just in time for a new paver to be revealed at Veterans Memorial Park.

Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Cleveland Glover wore a black vest decorated with medals of honor, and a big smile, as he looked on at his newly engraved paver.

It read: “Cleveland Glover, Sgt. Army 1942-1945, POW WWII.”

As noted by the paver, Glover served in the Army from 1942-45 and was a prisoner of war in Germany during World War II. He’s earned numerous medals and awards for service, including the Purple Heart and Prisoner of War medal. Members of his unit died.

“I’m blessed. I didn’t get killed out there, but my other boys did,” Glover said.

The general veterans section currently holds about 250 pavers, while the Prisoner of War/Killed In Action area currently holds about 30 pavers.

Chairman of the veterans committee Gary Hodges said Glover’s is the fifth POW WWII paver to be inserted and he’s the only survivor from that era’s section.

At 92, Glover is believed to be the oldest WWII veteran residing in Jasper County.

“He deserves this,” Hodges said. “It’s important to honor all veterans, specifically those in Jasper County. So we tried to individualize and humanize all veterans with pavers.”

Glover was accompanied by his wife, Thelma, Hodges, and veterans committee members Lawrence Bowers and Don Knowles.

But this historic day took a lifetime’s work to achieve.

Glover was born in Hardeeville and grew up in Savannah. He joined the Army at 21 and was a member of the 92nd Infantry Division, one of three segregated black divisions called the Buffalo Soldiers.

While on the battlefield in Germany, Glover was wounded by a piece of shrapnel in the neck. The 92nd Division was ordered to secure a hill when they were met by German forces.

Forced to surrender, they were taken to the Stalag VII camp in Moosburg, Germany, where they remained from Oct. 16, 1944 until May 8, 1945. During that time, Glover was interrogated multiple times, exposed to extreme cold and deplorable conditions, and survived on daily rations of watery soup.

“I was trying to save a boy and we had to cross the canal,” Glover said. “When we got more to the edge of the German side, shells were rolling on that water and some of the boys got killed behind. Four of us ahead had to hold hands and we had to jump up onto that platform. I must have jumped too high. I fell on my head and the next day I wanted to know ‘Where am I?’“

After getting out of the Army, Glover worked at the Savannah sugar refinery for nearly 39 years until he retired. He and his wife have been married for 41 years and now live close to their family in Purrysburg.

These days, Glover said, it’s the simple things that make him happy.

“Just sit down and drink lemonade with a piece of cake,” he said. “I’m satisfied with that.”